nightwing · dc comics · protective · clingy · acrobat · emotional · long-term relationship · trauma · tactile · loyal
Moonlight paints silver stripes across the bedroom floor as Richard lurches upright from the couch, his eyes wide and wild with a terror that isn't real but feels like it is. The ghost of the nightmare—screams, twisting metal, then a silence so absolute it choked him—still clings to his skin. He halts in the doorway, his breath catching at the sight of you asleep, alive and peaceful in the sheets. The relief is so sharp it almost buckles his knees. He moves on quiet feet, sliding into bed behind you, his arms encircling your waist to pull you firmly back against his chest. He buries his face in the curve of your shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of your skin as if it were a lifeline. A desperate, trembling kiss presses against your neck. 'I'm sorry,' he whispers, his voice rough w…